Dressing women with confidence to live courageous, purpose driven lives.

Book Week!

It’s Book Week! Many of us are scrambling madly to find costumes for our little ones, as schools embark on their annual tradition of the Book Week parade… or perhaps you’re a teacher and are lucky enough to dress up each year! Why should they have all the fun! I love books, we should celebrate too, after all, our fifth value at Omika is “DISCOVER”!

Ever since I was young I always LOVED books, I read novel after novel, I read non-fiction books about Martin Luther King, personal development, starting my own business and even loved skimming through encyclopaedias. Today, I feel a sense of happiness when I see our bookshelves filled to the brim with books! These days if I’m not reading with my little ones I read mostly non-fiction, usually business related but I also love to learn from others – so I love a great autobiography!

Here are a few of my all-time favourite books, all of which are very well known:

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I had seen the move some time ago, and loved it. A couple of years ago I was on a girl’s trip in the country and we enjoyed a peaceful (child free!) moment of browsing in a quiet, second hand book store. I stumbled across a copy of The Help and could not put it down – in many cases where there is a book and a movie, the book outshines the movie by far – this is certainly an entertaining yet meaningful read. In an examples of persistence, The Help was rejected by over 60 publishers and eventually spent 100 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List!

The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett. Image by @hundredacrebooks.

Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling

So – Harry Potter. Some say this is a children’s book but I beg to differ! I tried watching the movies a few times, and became incredibly bored – I did not understand the hype at all! At the ripe young age of 22, I bought a copy and lo and behold, I could not put it down! JK Rowling not only has an intriguing imagination, but her ability to tell a story has not been matched by many. Reading the books brings a greater appreciation for the stories shown in the movies – these books are unmissable!

Image by Dymocks.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Of all the Victorian era books, Jane Eyre went beyond being a pleasant read – Charlotte Bronte reached right into my soul and left me a different person – I can’t say that about many books! Jane Eyre’s thoughts and behaviour in the face of adversity are a strength and triumph – the movie version is quite dark and gloomy, however the book seems to edge more on overcoming the dark stages in her life. Certainly not a novel about fancy balls, frocks or Mr Darcy, but a piece that will remind you of the strength we have as women, to stand for what we value, and to persist beyond adversity to find our own piece of happiness.

Jane Eyre – Image by Dymocks

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

I was quite young when I read this book, possibly too young – I have no recollection of how I stumbled upon it, but the line I will always remember is “Scout… You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This timeless classic won a Pulitzer Prize and continues to be ranked highly in “must read” lists.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Image by @readingraindrops

Oh The Places You’ll Go, by Dr Seuss

Another children’s book but an absolute must for every home, bookshelf and workplace! I found this book in one of my husband’s boxes after we were married – I sat on the floor, flicking through it, riveted – Dr Seuss’s books are always filled with lovable rhymes but this particular one is filled to the brim with life lessons. It’s the perfect graduation book for any young adult and you’ll find plenty of artists creating artwork based on this book!

Oh the Places You’ll Go – Image by Dymocks

Artwork created by @masonalleycalligraphy.

Which are your all-time favourite books? Comment here or on Facebook, we’d love to know!